1858 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-004

Description

Fourth in the Wexler obverse doubled die census for the 1858 Flying Eagle cent, WDDO-004 exhibits Class I clockwise spread on USA, the eagle's beak, eye, and tail feathers — a broad range of affected design elements that indicates substantial rotational hub displacement. Class I (Rotated Hub) doubling produces progressively increasing separation as the distance from the rotation center increases, making peripheral design elements like the inscription and tail feathers the most dramatically affected zones. James Barton Longacre's Flying Eagle design, produced only from 1856 through 1858, depicted an eagle in flight on the obverse — a motif adapted from Christian Gobrecht's silver dollar pattern — making these cents among the most artistically celebrated in the small cent series. The 1858 date exists in two major obverse varieties (Large Letter and Small Letter), and the entire three-year series commands strong collector demand due to its brevity and historical significance as the first small cent denomination. The Wexler Team noted a possible RPD (Repunched Date) with the 1 punched over 1 south as a cross-reference (Snow-4), potentially adding a second attributable variety to this die. No significant die markers were documented on either the obverse or reverse beyond the doubling itself. The clockwise spread means the secondary hub impression rotated to the right relative to the primary, and because the eagle's eye and beak occupy the central obverse area while USA sits at the periphery, the displacement gradient from center to edge should be observable. Collectors should examine USA under 10-15x magnification for the most prominent separation, then check the eagle's eye and beak for confirmatory doubling, and inspect the date area for the possible repunching described in the Snow-4 cross-reference.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Not noted Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1858 1¢ WDDO-004
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References